Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair Ups the Ante with a New Foodie Partnership

Your Guide to the Power-Sized Festival

The annual Sugar Land Food and Wine Affair is making a big leap this year. Flip through this slide show for scene's from past years.

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After 14 years, Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair ups the ante on this year’s festival with a new powerhouse partnership. Global events company IWSC Group North America jumps on board, equipping the local affair with an increased national platform. IWSC is the driving force behind high-profile foodie events such as the pig-centric culinary tour Cochon 555 and the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, making the trek to the Houston suburbs all the more necessary for this Sugar Land festival.

The four-day food and wine fest, which runs Thursday April 6 through Sunday, April 9, taps a bevy of award-winning chefs, sommeliers, mixologists, and distillers to lead a series of pop-up dinners, tastings, dining events, and learning experiences.

With just one week left until the foodie festival, we’ve rounded up a list of festival musts — from Italian pop-up dinners to a weekend Sip & Stroll. This is your ultimate playbook to the Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair.

Don’t forget to capture the best moments of the Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair on social media.

DAY 1The festival kicks off with two flavor-packed pop-up dinners. Head to Sugar Land’s Duhacsek Park for a Southern seafood boil presented by Sterling McCall Lexus at 7:30 pm. Chefs David Bancroft (Alabama), Bryan Caswell (Texas), and Edward Lee (Kentucky) elevate the classic boil with everything from barbecue blue crabs to shrimp.

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You can also opt for the Italian Invasion dinner ($200), which hits Sugar Land Town Square at 7:30 pm. Master sommeliers Craig Collins and Drew Hendricks hosts the night of wine and food, where various bottles are paired with chef Andrew Curren‘s Italian fare.

DAY 2Fridays are for rosé, so we’re headed to Sugar Land Town Center for the first learning experience of the weekend: All Shades of Rosé sponsored by Fred Parks Wine Lecture Series. Master all things wine from sommeliers Craig Collins (MS of Elm Restaurant Group, Austin) and Drew Hendricks (MS of Republic National Distributing Company).

If you’re not in the mood for wine, head to new Sugar Land restaurant Bacon Bros. Public House for a Cured & Fermented learning experience chefs Kevin Outzs (The Spotted Trotter) and Jason Tesauro (Modern Gentleman).

Friday’s finale: the Grand Tasting ($125) — benefiting University of Houston’s Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management — which includes fanciful fare and libations paired with a charity auction and bartender’s challenge.

Get ready for cocktails galore at Friday night’s Grand Tasting event.

DAY 3Saturday’s main event is without a doubt the Sip & Stroll ($65). The reoccurring fan favorite, which takes place for two days, is a premier showcase of bites, cocktails, and wine featuring 25 of the city’s most popular restaurants. Ousie’s Table, Snooze Eatery, Sambuca and Lawless Spirits & Kitchen, Ragin Cajun, Black Walnut, and Nothing Bundt Cakes are just a few of the restaurants on the docket.

Head to Constellation Field from 3 to 6 pm to experience the al fresco affair, or catch a shuttle from Sugar Land Town Square for an additional $5. Patrons can also partake in wine and food & beverage pairings throughout the day at Sugar Land Marriott Town Square.

DAY 4End the action packed weekend at Day Two of the popular Sip & Stroll from 11 am to 2 pm.